Character Creation
Before you make your character, you should descide how you want to play the game, and what type of character you want to be. You should discuss this with your DM, as the setting and location in the world might influence your descission. Your DM can then advise you on what race and class to play as. Think primarily about the personality you want to play, do you want to be the protective hero who helps your friends, or the sneaky rogue who specialises in attacking your opponents un-aware. If you still dont know how you want your character to be, try thinking of the role you want to fill, are you the protector, the healer, or the damage dealer? Choose a Race and Class After you have discussed your idea with your DM, and planed a rough concept of your character's background, choose a race and class to fit your descissions. Before writing anything down, you should quickly read through all the races and classes, and read your chosen race and class in detail. Make sure you are happy with your choices before you start making your character. Determine Ability Scores To determine your ability scores, roll 4d6 and remove the lowest result, add the remaining dice and record the result. Repeat this process five more times, the resulting six numbers will be used as your ability scores. You choose where to place the numbers, it is always a good idea to place your highest numbers on the abilities most important for your class. After you have chosen your abilities, it's time to figure out your modifiers. The standard way to calculate them is by taking your ability score, subtracting 10 and dividing it by 2, rounded down. (so a score of 15 would be 15-10=5, 5/2=2.5 and since we're rounding down that results in a modifier of +2. As soon as you go below ten, out come the negative numbers. So 7-10=(-3), and (-3)/2=-1.5, and since we're rounding down to the lower whole number that becomes a modifier of -2. Usually applied to a dump stat.) If you have trouble figuring it out modifiers, check out this neat table: Fill in Race Details Fill in all the details listed under your Race's Traits Fill in Class Details Fill in all the details listed under your Class's details. Describe Your Character First, select a Background for your character. Backgrounds explain what your character did before he became and adventurer, and they provide you with skill proficiencies, languages, equipment, and a special feature that may give an advantage in cirtain roleplaying sittuations. Make sure your DM agrees with your choise of background. If there are no backgrounds that are appropriate for your character, work with your DM to make a custom one. Choose Equipment Your class and background determine your character's starting equipment, including weapons, armor, and other adventuring gear. Record this equipment on your character sheet. Instead of taking the gear given to you by your class and background, you can purchase your starting equipment. You have a number of gold pieces (gp) to spend based on your class. If you wish, you can also have one trinket at no cost. Your Strength score limits the amount of gear toy can carry. Try not to pruchase equipment with a total weight (in pounds) exceeding your Strength score times 15. Armor Class Your Armor Class (AC) represents how well your character avoids being wounded in battle. Things that contribute to your AC include the armor you wear, the shield you carry, and your Dexterity modifier. Not all characters wear armor or carry shields, however. Without armor or a shield, your character's AC equals 10 + his or her Dexterity modifier. If your character wears armor, carries a shield, or both, calculate your AC using the rules for that armor. Record your AC on your character sheet. Your character needs to be proficient with armor and shields to wear and use them effectively, and your armor and shield proficiencies are determined by your class. There are drawbacks to wearing armor or charrying a shield if you lack the required proficiency. Some spells and class features five you a different way to calculate AC. If you have multiple features that give you different ways to calculate your AC, you choose which one to use. Weapons For each weapon your character wields, calculate the modifier you use when you attack with the weapon and the damage you deal when you hit. When you make an attack with a weapon, you roll a d20 and add your proficiency bonus (but only if you are proficient with the weapon) and the appropriate ability modifier. *For attacks with melee weapons, use your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the finesse property, such as a rapier, can use your Dexterity modifier instead. *For attacks with ranged weapons, use your Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the thrown property, such as a handaxe, can use your Strength modifier instead.